Love's Magic
by Joanna1
Summary: [After-Series] The five Magic Club members of Kitanohashi High take their friendships and love to college and beyond.
1. Episode 01

Love's Magic  
Episode One  
  
Note: This fanfic updates on Saturdays and Tuesdays, generally, with some exceptions. If you want to see something new, check back on those days.  
  
Takakura Takeo took another step towards the Magic Club room. He could faintly hear words being spoken inside, and he clenched his fist as he wondered if it was another one of Mizuha's manga club goons searching around for another way to corrupt a project. He stomped to the door, turned the knob, and swung it open with a satisfying BANG! as the wood hit the cement of the wall beside it.  
  
Inside, however, he saw something completely different. A girl with firey-red spiked hair sat at the room's only table, her brow creased in frustration as she held her magic wand over an apple. She didn't seem to notice he was even there, so he took a step backwards to examine what she was doing-- trying to shrink the apple with a magic spell. She wasn't having much success.  
  
Sawanaguchi Sae. The name itself was enough to make his heart pound. He knew that he was two years her senior and she looked to him only for admiration and respect, but she still had power over him that no other girl had. Whether or not he would ever have a chance with her, she still found convienient cracks in his fantasies to sneak into and change completely. She was so innocent, so pure. She was also sitting five feet in front of him, and he had lost all willpower to take another step closer.  
  
"I can't do it!" Sae wailed finally, placing her magic wand on the table and standing up. Takeo ducked out of the way so that by chance she wouldn't notice him, but she knew he was there. She smiled a bit and walked over to him. "Sempai, is that you?"  
  
"Hello, Sae," Takeo finally managed. "I was just coming--"  
  
"To make sure that Mizuha's henchpeople weren't ruining our club presentation for the festival again." Sae's smile increased. "I've been here since the end of the day, and nobody's come. I don't think anything's going to happen to our project."  
  
Takeo nodded. He glanced at the magic wand, sitting alone on the table and motioned to it with his hand. "Were you having trouble with a spell? Maybe I could help."  
  
"Arigatou, sempai!" Sae clapped her hands together and sat down again in the chair. "I was trying to make this apple smaller. I chant the same spell over and over, and nothing happens. What am I doing wrong?"  
  
Takeo stood at Sae's back, wiping his now sweaty palms on the pants of his school uniform. He knew the way he was feeling was stupid and wrong, but he couldn't help just looking at how perfect Sae was. Her outside appearance was enough for any guy, but the cheerful personality and can-do attitude was enough to win anyone over. She'd been the love interest of Jinno Jurika last semester, but now that Takeo was almost finished with high school all together he was happy he could spend the spring semeseter alone with Sae. Even if nothing was going to happen, he knew this was how he wanted to close out his high school career.  
  
He watched as Sae closed her eyes and concentrated on the apple. She motioned her magic wand over it, chanting the same spell he had taught the group at a club meeting a week before. Sparks shot out of the end of the wand and danced in the air over the apple, but nothing happened. Sae sighed and folded her hands in her lap.   
  
"It doesn't work," she finally said. "No matter what I do, it always has the same result. It's as if my magic is being blocked by something."  
  
Takeo's hands were shaking, but he picked up the magic wand and placed it in Sae's hands. He put his hands over hers and motioned the wand toward the apple. "Let's try this together," he finally stammered. "I'm sure that if we both concentrate hard enough, the spell will work."  
  
He closed his eyes and tried very hard to make the spell work. Even though in his current situation he was a little bit more than distracted, he knew now if the spell didn't work Sae would be crushed. Aburatsubo, another member of the magic club, was so hard and critical towards Sae because he loved Takeo, and knew that no matter what he did Takeo in his heart would always love Sae. With this fact, Takeo also knew that Sae didn't have any role models. High school clubs were designed for the older members to help the underclassmen, but Aburatsubo despised Sae greatly and Takeo himself had fallen in love with her, so there was really no one left.  
  
The apple bobbed slightly as it was struck by the magic. It rolled from side to side on the table before finally becoming half its original size. Takeo glanced at Sae, pleased to see that her eyes had lit up. She jumped from the chair and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.  
  
"Thank you, sempai," she whispered graciously. "I couldn't have done it without you."  
  
"I, I--" Takeo did his best to return the hug, although with his other hand he was blocking his trademark bloody nose, which always seemed to start whenever he was thinking about girls.   
  
"I'd better get home now, sempai," Sae said, slipping her magic wand into her club bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "My sister will be very angry with me, it's my turn to cook tonight."  
  
"Sawanaguchi-kun," Takeo said as he watched her leave, "Do you-- do you want me to walk you home?"  
  
Sae nodded and she motioned for him to catch up with him. Takeo himself didn't even really understand why he had just offered-- there were boys who courted after girls every day in the school, and walked a different one home all the time and watched her blush over themeselves. Takeo wasn't like that, he rarely ever asked to walk with a girl-- though he hardly got the chance, Aburatsubo was usually hanging all over him before he had even reached his locker. Takeo gave a sigh of relief that he was busy with tennis practice today, and wouldn't bother them.  
  
It was a beautiful spring day, and the two walked down the street at a leisurely pace. As they began to walk out of sight, Takeo glanced back and took a glimpse at the brick walls of the school. In a few short weeks, he would be leaving that place forever, going on to a university just on the outskirts of the city. The school also brought back a fond and warm memory for him-- the night when he had flown to Sae's window, and she had rested her head on his shoulder as they flew high above the city, concluding the trip by painting the school in rainbow colors with their magic. He wondered if she even remembered, for all he knew she could have thought it was all a dream.  
  
"We're here, sempai," Sae said, jerking Takeo out of his daydream. "Thank you," she said after a pause, a blush gathering on her cheeks, "thank you for walking me home. You were very nice to me today. Not many people would... consider doing that."  
  
"Why, Sawanaguchi-kun?" Takeo's brow narrowed slightly. "You're a perfectly nice person."  
  
"You see," Sae shuffled her feet slightly against the welcome mat laying in front of her door, "since my parents don't live with my sister and myself, we're not exactly considered a traditional family. People tend... to slightly avoid us. I want to thank you for being there for me today. You always are... Aburatsubo, he..." she stared down at the ground.  
  
Takeo felt his heart drop to his feet. He struggled to regain eye contact with Sae before replying. "What did Aburatsubo do to you?"  
  
Sae shrugged a bit and took a step backwards. "It's nothing. Takakura-sempai, would you like to stay for dinner? It would be so rude of me not to ask."  
  
"Only if I'll be of some help to you, Sawanaguchi-kun," Takeo replied with a nod. He clenched a fist behind his back as he imagined torturing Aburatsubo slowly and painfully for whatever he said or did to Sae. He followed Sae into the small house, where she opened the refridgerator and began taking various ingredients to make the meal.  
  
Sae sat down at the table and began slicing carrots, and Takeo sat across from her and began to peel potatoes. They worked in silence for a few minutes, but what Sae had said before about "traditional" families ate at Takeo. He wanted to know what Aburatsubo had said-- so that he could punch him in the face, and then run to comfort Sae. He was just about to open his mouth when Sae spoke again.  
  
"What's Aburatsubo's father like? I know I've seen his mother, but I guess his father must be a glamourous model, and can't stay home with them all the time?"  
  
Takeo took a deep breath. "Aburatsubo's father... he was killed in a car accident when Aya was seven. He doesn't talk about him much, and I don't ask him. It seems to be a very touchy subject with him. I think... Aya's a very reserved person. He wouldn't admit some of the things he's hiding to most people."  
  
Sae seemed about to speak again when the door opened, and Suki, her sister, walked in with a paper bag and humming a tune to herself. Takeo had only met Sae's sister on one or two other occasions, and she always seemed so careless and without worry she was almost airheaded. Though he knew she was very smart, she didn't act it. As the brown-haired girl set the bag down on the counter, she turned to Sae with a mischevious grin on her face.  
  
"Sae, it took you until sophomore year to get a boyfriend?"  
  
Takeo lifted his hand to his nose to sop up all the blood that was pouring out of it. "Sae" and "girlfriend" were two words that were absolutely not supposed to be used in the same sentence. The two words were completely unrelated and they would never mean anything to one another. A quick look at Sae's blushing face and Takeo instantly confirmed this, although with a bit of disappointment.   
  
"He's not my boyfriend, onee-san," Sae said slowly. "He's my... he's my sempai."  
  
The three then worked together to prepare dinner, which was finished very quickly and enjoyed by all. Takeo had to admit that both of the Sawanaguchi sisters were very good at cooking, although he himself had never been very good in the kitchen. After they had finished eating, Saki went to go and make a phone call, and had suggested that the two of them sit out on the porch swing in the front and enjoy the late spring evening. Sae had blushed again, but was polite enough to invite him outside. Takeo quickly planned on leaving as soon as possible to spare her any more embarrasment.  
  
The night air was quiet, and a light breeze stirred the air. All was still, and Takeo watched Sae's facial figures distort a little bit before she opened her mouth. "Sempai... why did you start the Magic Club?"  
  
"A few years ago, I ran across our spell book in the school's library. I knew that magical studies were considered foolishness by most colleges and that there are very few even in this area where you can study the art. It was just something that always interested me, and I didn't want... I didn't want to be alone, and so I thought that if I could interest others in the craft it would help the magical community. Aburatsubo always stuck by me, and has been in the club since its creation, even though we always lacked members."  
  
Sae paused for a moment. "You didn't want to be alone?" she said slowly, and she seemed to still be processing the words. "I don't want to be alone anymore," she confessed finally. "Saki's getting married, you know that, and then I'm going to be here in this house by myself until I finish out college. I want my father and mother to come back, but there work is too important. It seems as though there's nothing to stop what's slowly ruining my life."  
  
Takeo didn't understand. "What's ruining your life?" he asked.   
  
"Love," Sae said with a frusturated edge to her voice. "My parents love their jobs, and so they run off and leave me and Saki here to fend for ourselves. Saki loves her boyfriend, and the two of them are going to go off and get married, and I'll be lonely here. Aburatsubo loves you, and so--" there was an immediate catch in her voice and she looked down at the ground again.  
  
Takeo was becoming more and more angry with Aburatsubo by the second. "Aburatsubo loves me, and what?" he put a hand on her shoulder slowly, as if he were handling a tiger at the zoo who might bite him.  
  
Sae's shoulders sagged, as if she were giving in. "Today, just before I went in the Magic Club room, Aburatsubo confronted me in the hallway. He said that he loved you, and that I was the reason he couldn't have you. He told me that since I was such a failure, it would be better if I just quit the Magic Club anyway, because I certainly couldn't cast the spells." she paused for a minute. "Then, he said I was no good for you, that he needed someone that was raised properly and that could love and care for you, and that since I was still so young that it was a bad idea for me to try."  
  
The words stung as Takeo watched the tears roll down Sae's cheeks, her face writhed in pain. He pulled her close and felt the tears hit the front of his school uniform, but he refused to move. His anger towards Aburatsubo and his out-of-line comments was almost boiling over, but he would never let Sae see. He waited until she had composed herself and had begun to pull away from him before he spoke again.  
  
"Sae," he said quietly. "Some of what Aburatsubo said is true. I do love you, I've loved you since that day when we met at the docks to practice our broomstick riding. Your spirit and determination is matched by no one else." He looked into her eyes and then moved in to kiss her gently. A few seconds passed before Sae broke the kiss and stood up, her hand on the knob of the door leading inside.  
  
"Goodnight, sempai," she said softly. "I'm sorry, but... I just can't love you." 


	2. Episode 02

Love's Magic  
Episode 02  
  
"I'm sorry, Sempai... I just can't love you."  
  
Takeo's eyelids fluttered open for about the tenth time. His night had been absolutely sleepless, filled with the painful memory of Sae's face as she had spoken to him on her front porch the evening before, followed by her retreat into the house after he had confessed his love for her. It was all too hard to bear-- his fantastic final semester was looking more and more like a nightmare.  
  
He glanced over at his alarm clock. It was ten minutes before six, his alarm clock would ring in a few minutes anyway to get him up for school. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to black out everything that had happened. Two inevitable things would happen within the next seven hours-- first of all, he would see Aburatsubo, they walked to school together. Secondly, there was a Magic Club meeting after school, and he would have to face Sae. It was almost enough for him to roll over and try to forget the day had ever begun.  
  
Instead, he pulled himself up from the sheets and staggered into the shower. The hot water did nothing for him, he didn't even feel the temperature as he brushed his teeth, dressed and exited his apartment building, setting off for school. As usual, the stoplight at the end of the block changed from "walk" to "don't walk" as soon as he even thought of walking to the other side of the street, and of course he tripped over the same crack in the sidewalk that had had ever since the second grade. It was just an ordinary day, and the waving image of Aburatsubo outside his apartment on the next block should do nothing to affect him.  
  
It did. It did in every way, shape, and form, more than Takeo had ever known. It angered him. It saddened him. It made him believe that there were certain things in the world that couldn't be fixed by magic, another harsh reality. He had faced far too many of those in the last twenty four hours, his friend had betrayed him and his love had dismissed his feelings without a passing glance. Takeo felt his hands curling into fists as he approached Aburatsubo.  
  
"Takeo-kuuuun!" the overexaggeration in his voice was clear, now. Takeo continued walking as Aburatsubo's arms were thrown around him in the same affectionate way they had always been, but without any sleep Takeo didn't have the strength to dismiss them. He continued walking, Aya dragging behind him as he filled his thoughts with mindless chatter. None of it mattered to him now. No matter what happened, he would always feel a sense of underlying betray from Aburatsubo. He was the one person he thought he could trust with his secret about Sae, and he had turned on him. Sae was right, love was the biggest problem in everyone's lives. The only trouble was that everyone faced it, and everyone expressed emotion towards everyone else. It was neverending.  
  
They arrived at the school shortly afterwards. It was then Takeo finally lifted his head up and found away to get out of Aya's tight grip. His gaze hovered over every bit of the high school-- the tennis courts, the soccer fields, the tall brick buildings that housed the academic classes. It was only a matter of weeks before he would leave this place forever, and never look back. It was certain that he could last that long without speaking to Sae. In fact, it was absolutely possible. If he could just avoid Club, and senior class meetings, and the festival, and-- he could just hide under a rock for the last weeks of school, the most important and most fun of a student's school career. It would be worth it, if only--  
  
"Nanaka-chan, wait for-- ungh!"  
  
Takeo's head spun around at the sound of her voice. She was running up the stairs into the school now, late as she often was. Nakatomi Nanaka, Sae's best friend had always walked to school with her. Nanaka had a cross attitude, and it wasn't beyond her to get frusturated with Sae for her tardiness. In Sae's rush, her naturally clumsy ability had helped her to slip and fall flat on her face in front of the entire student body. Everyone was laughing, and no one made a move to help her up. Every bit of Takeo's being wanted to run over and help her up off the floor, but he knew he couldn't do that. She had clearly told him to keep away from her, for whatever reason, and in his blind love for her he ought to just accept that and move on. He figured he would start by turning around and walking to homeroom.  
  
"Are you alright, Takeo-kun?" Aya was still milling about like a fly, and it was beginning to get irritating.  
  
"I'm fine, Aburatsubo." Takeo turned swiftly into his homeroom class and shut the door behind him.  
  
***  
  
Class that day was a blur. Takeo could somewhat remember taking tests, doing work, and running the track in gym class. He spoke little or nothing and debated even going to club after school, but he knew that Nanaka and the other member, Aikawa Akane, were depending on him. It was important that he get there and see to it that they learned the magic they needed to learn. Of course, all the while he knew he was kidding himself. The only reason why he bothered to go at all was to see Sae.  
  
He slid into the club room first and set his bag down behind the table. Pulling the chair out, he sat down at it and rested his head down on top of the hard, sturdy cover of the magic book. Home seemed like such a far and artificial place from all this, all that mattered. His room could be his hiding place, he could stay there and not go out, it wouldn't matter in the least to anyone, obviously. Well, except to one person... maybe.  
  
"Takeo-kuuuun! I'm so glad you're here." Aburatsubo dashed inside the club room, flinging his tennis bag across the room and purring at his side. "Now that it's just the two of us, let's do something fun."  
  
"Are you supposed to be seductive?" Takeo muttered, probably a bit too coldly. "I'm just not in the mood for putting up with you today."  
  
He watched Aya's face fall as quickly as his hand did from Takeo's shoulder. He took a step backwards. "Something's wrong, Takeo-kun. I want you to tell me what it is. Despite what you're thinking of me right now, I do care."  
  
Takeo slammed his fist on the table. "That's why I'm angry! You care too much. Far too much. I've already told you, I'm not interested."  
  
Aburatsubo's eyes widened. "Are you having a bad day? I'll give you a back rub--"  
  
"No!" Takeo stood up from the table and advanced on Aburatsubo, his fists clenched. "I'm not kidding, Aya. Leave this be. Stop loving me, I'll never love you. We've almost graduated. It's almost time you know that, that you hear it from me straightforward and as plain as it gets."  
  
Aya withered somewhat like a plant that had been cut off from water. He opened and shut his mouth a few times in an awkward way before attempting to speak. When he did, the tone in his voice reached anger. "It's all because of Sae, isn't it! It's all because of that bitch!"   
  
"Don't talk about Sae in that way, not to me, not to her, not to anyone!" Takeo slammed his fist into his best friend's stomach, watching his face contort into the same painful shape he had seen Sae's in the night before. Just to make sure Aya understood, he did it twice more before turning and sitting down again at the desk. He covered his face to try and ignore his friend's startled sobs. Aya never cried. They had grown up together, and Takeo knew that for sure. When most other boys would bawl hysterically when they skinned their knee or they didn't get the candy they want, Aburatsubo didn't. He was always so calm and serene about whatever he said and did. It almost made him seem better than anyone else.  
  
The voice from the other side of the room was almost impossible to interpret. "I... I love you, Takeo-kun."  
  
For a moment, Takeo laughed, almost cynically. "I'm sorry, Aburatsubo... but I just can't love you." His laughter slowed to a soft chuckle. It really did make him feel better to say those words to someone else, to make them feel the pain he had felt the night before when he had been left alone on Sae's doorstep, and the tearful walk home afterwards. He cried, and Aya would cry, and that would only be the fair way to settle this.  
  
"What..." there was a pause. "What does Sae have... what can Sae do that... that I can't do for you?"  
  
"Sae?" Takeo turned on the chair to face Aburatsubo as he leaned against the desk. "Sae can do plenty of things for me that you can't. She is a girl, after all. Most importantly, though, I'm sure she'd never turn on me. I'm sure she'd never go through such drastic measures to hurt someone to get another. It was too much, Aburatsubo, and you made a mistake. Get up off the floor and get over it. I'm going to manage just as well too."  
  
Aburatsubo nodded slowly in understanding. He got up and picked up his tennis bag. "I don't think I'm going to stay for club today," he said softly. "I suddenly remembered-- I remembered something else that I have to do."  
  
Takeo pressed his forehead against the desk and sat there in silence for a good while. It was important that Aya know where he was coming from, he reasoned, and it was even better now because he knew not to disilliusion himself in the same fantasy world he had since they had become adolescents. It saddened him to know that he had hurt someone who had always been so devotional loyal to him, but it couldn't be helped. It was all a sign of growing up, and soon they would be going to two completely different colleges and would hardly see each other anymore, except maybe on breaks. Aya could deal with things so easily, by this time next year he'd have a girlfriend and a sports car and be the head of his class. Those were things Takeo could never even hope to attain, and it was all the better that he had always somewhat hid in Aburatsubo's shadow. It was time to change that.  
  
With that thought, he got up and grabbed his jacket and bookbag. Slowly, he turned and examined the room and stepped out, shutting and locking the door behind him. He could be difficult, too.  
  
He wasn't going to club, he had better things to do. 


	3. Episode 03

Love's Magic, Episode 03  
By Joanna  
  
Takeo walked quickly down the street. Kitanohashi High School was disppearing quickly out of sight, and he couldn't help but compare it to how it would be so easy to erase it completely from his memory within these next few weeks. There were no good memories left there to be had, and the sooner he forgot this time in his life the better off he would be in the long run.  
  
He had been acting so out of character lately. First, he had admitted his love to Sae. That was bad enough. He'd had a crush on her from the beginning of the year, when she'd joined the Magic Club, but refused to say anything because he was its president, and her elder. Then, out of nowhere he had just punched his best friend. "Bitch" was such a minor insult anymore, but it had multiplied times ten when it had been directed at Sae, who would never love him in the first place. He must be going crazy. Only a complete nutcase would still bother to have second thoughts about a girl who never even considered him. Not once.   
  
As he surveyed his surroundings, he found that he was approaching the park where he had gone on one, somewhat "date" with Akane. He could smile a little bit fondly on that day, as he recalled that all the other Magic Club members, and Mizuha, the president of the Manga Club, had followed him to the park. It had turned out that Akane was having the hiccups because of her magic. Not even she could look upon him as anything more than a teacher.   
  
It didn't matter, he thought sadly as he settled down on a bench and closed his eyes. In just a few weeks, this will be all over. I'll have graduated, and college will certainly have much better opportunities for me in this department.  
  
"Sempai! Sempai!" There was a shove into the bench, that made Takeo open his eyes. A very breathless Sae had caught up to him, and she was clutching the handle of the bench with all her might. In her one hand, there was a fistfull of crumpled material. "I wanted to return this to you. I thought there was Club today, but--"  
  
"There was Club, Sawanoguchi," Takeo said, probably a little more coldly than he should have. "You were late, and Aya had something to do." He shut his eyes again in dismissal, wanting her to go away more than anything else.  
  
Instead, she sat down on the bench next to him. Girls were like that, he hadn't even really expected her to go away. He opened his eyes pensively and examined her from head to toe. She was looking at him with a timid expression on her face, dressed in her school uniform and still clutching the packet of cloth in her one hand. "Give me that," Takeo instructed, holding out his hand. She complied almost automatically.  
  
He held them up to the light of the sun. They were his gym shorts, without a doubt, the grey ones with the pull-strings. He hadn't seen them in ages, and he hadn't left them in the Magic Club room, that was for sure. He was also absolutely certain that he had locked the door on his way out. He looked at Sae, confused. "Where did you get these?"  
  
Sae blushed. "I was cleaning my room, and they were under my bed."  
  
"What?" Takeo was shocked. What would his shorts be doing in Sae's room. He thought, and finally came up with an answer. The night when he had thought he was dreaming and flew to Sae's room on his broomstick, he had worn these gym shorts to bed. Somehow, in between changing from his pajamas to his Magic Club uniform, they had be broughten along and later left at Sae's house. This was a chance. Even though he knew the outcome of this question would make him feel terrible, he just had to ask.  
  
"Sae," he began. "Do you..."  
  
"Do I remember that night we flew out on the broomstick and painted the school?" she smiled sadly. "Yes, I remember that. It was one of the best dreams I've ever had." She examined the pavement with a little more curiousity than normal, then, and Takeo caught the glimpse of tears in her eyes again. He was hiding something, and he didn't know exactly how to get her to tell him what it was.  
  
"Jurika told me, right before he left," Sae traced circles on the ground with her shoe. "that no matter what I should do, because he couldn't be with me anymore, to follow my heart, and I know-- I know I can't do that, Takakura-sempai. It's just too hard, after all that's happened."   
  
She made a motion to get up, but Takeo grabbed onto her hand and pulled her back to the bench. Now that he had her, and she was speaking to him, he wasn't going to let her go until he got a better answer than, "I just can't love you". Even if she told him he couldn't stand him, it would be better than that. As long as he knew it, he could find some place to hide until graduation.  
  
"What's the matter?" he finally asked her, letting go of her hand. "If you want, you can run away, but sometimes it's easier... it's easier to talk to someone. I remember that when Aya's father died, he talked to me a lot about it at first, but he doesn't anymore. I think he's holding it inside."  
  
There was silence. "Do you know," she said, after a moment, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to go through every day knowing you're going to end up alone? Saki's running of to Las Vegas in America with her boyfriend to get married in luxury, and my parents aren't going to bother to move back because I'll be seventeen by then. I'll even have to go to college somewhere close, so I can keep the apartment for whenever they decide to come back into the city."  
  
"It's different for me," Takeo said. "My mother works a lot, and so I have to take care of my sister." He paused for a moment. "You do know... my mother and father are divorced, so I do know what it's like to be alone sometimes. There's times when I want to go out and do things, and I have to watch the brat because my mom is out. My family... we're very close, so we have to take care of each other. It's important to have people like that."  
  
The tears in Sae's eyes spilled over. "I'm sorry, Takeo," she said softly. "I had no idea..." She covered her face in her hands and Takeo instinctively wrapped his arm around her. This time, she didn't struggle to pull away, but sobbed onto his shirt.  
  
She called me "Takeo"... he thought, realizing this for the first time as he tried to comfort her. She's never called me that before. I could be a mistake, I could be imagining it, or maybe she meant it. Maybe now she feels she can, because... for the first time, we have something in common.  
  
Sae picked up her head, and Takeo was glad to see that she had stopped crying. "I'd have to go," she said quietly.  
  
"No," Takeo said firmly as he locked gazes with her. "You don't have to go, you're just afraid of what will happen if you stay."  
  
"I'm not afraid to do anything anymore, since I joined the Magic Club." A grin came upon her face. "I've been chased by alien robots and locked in a closet for you."  
  
Takeo closed his eyes and their lips met with, he thought, very little concentration on either part. This time Sae lingered much longer for the kiss, and when they had finished she rested her head on his shoulder again. "Promise me," she said softly. "That if I let this happen, I'll never be alone again."  
  
"I promise," Takeo said automatically. He closed his eyes and sat in the warmth of the sun. This moment was perfect, flawless-- the two of them would be together for graduation, and after that. He would graduate from school with ease, surely-- with only a few weeks left, there couldn't possibly be any more problems that couldn't be fixed... 


	4. Episode 04

Love's Magic, Episode Four  
By Joanna  
  
"Look, Takeo!"   
  
Takeo looked over to Sae, who had dropped his hand on their walk to school to go and examine something by the side of the road. She was standing at the base of a tree near the park and peering up towards the top branches, her hand shielding her eyes as she stared. While she looked, a tiny smile crept over her face. When he arrived at the spot, Takeo looked and saw she was looking at a nest of baby birds.  
  
"It's a nice day, isn't it?" She turned to him with a smile and slipped her hand in his again as they continued walking.   
  
"It's... it's a great day, Sae." Takeo was still having trouble without stuttering around his new girlfriend, but he was getting much better. He smiled softly as he recalled the last few hours. They had had a great time the night before, he had taken her out to dinner. It was so hard to believe that she was finally his after he had desired her for so long, but was too frightened to actually try. She was hiding something, but he pushed that to the back of his thought process. Whatever pain she was going through with her family, she would tell him when it was time and not before, so it wasn't worth worrying about it.  
  
They had arrived at the front steps of the school. He pushed the door open for her, and they walked along in silence. It was time for Saturday Magic Club practice, and he was sure she was thinking she had better things to do just as he did. Neither would say anything, because in a rage the day before Takeo had cancelled club. Of course, the night before, he had told her about the entire fight with Aburatsubo. He didn't want to mention it again because it had made her cry. When they arrived at the club room, he opened the door to let them in and closed it behind them. He sat on the table, his back against the wall, and pulled her to him as they waited for everyone else.  
  
"What are you thinking?" he asked after a few minutes.  
  
"How nice this is," Sae sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Nanaka was so happy for me when I told her about what happened yesterday, and you know how opinionated she is. Have you told Aburatsubo?" A visible grimace appeared.  
  
"I haven't," Takeo told her. "If he doesn't like it, then that's his business. I certainly haven't given him the job of picking my girlfriends. He and I are going our separate ways for college, at least. It doesn't matter to me, Sae. He's become jealous and bitter this last year of high school. I don't know why, and I'm not going to ask him to explain it to me. It's not worth it."  
  
"Well," Sae said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "some things are better left not said." As if to explain her point, he felt her pull him towards her and their lips met in a kiss that set fireworks off in his head and blinded him. Everything about Sae was perfect, and that was all he cared about. She was truly right about Aburatsubo. If he wanted to salvage the friendship, he had Takeo's number. They would have let the kiss go on a good deal longer if they both hadn't heard the door slide open behind them.  
  
"Is this what the two of you do behind my back?"  
  
Takeo winced. It was Aburatsubo, the voice was cleary recognizable. He just didn't want to pull away from Sae right now, his face just inches from hers. He was becoming too much of a hinderance to care about anymore. Sure, he was a great friend. That had lasted for a very long time. Right now, he had to be there for Sae and that was much more pressing than trying to assure Aya of his sexuality. Those days were long past gone. It was time to act mature, and like adults.  
  
"Yes, Aya," Takeo said, his voice stern. "This is what most guys do with their girlfriends in private places."  
  
"The two of you are dating, now?" Aburatsubo's face was writhed with pain. "You're lying to me, Takeo-kun. We have so much left to do, and only a few weeks of high school left! Let's call off the meeting, come down off that desk and admit to Sae that everything you do to her is meaningless."  
  
"Are you Aya?" Takeo examined his friend in the light of the hallway that was shining behind him. Everything looked the same, except for the facial expression he wore. It was definitely Aya, no replacements, no exceptions. The way he look now brought pain to Takeo, but everything he said was clearly aimed to make Sae feel useless and fake. It had to be stopped.  
  
"Aburatsubo," he said when he found the courage to speak again, "I won't have you speaking to my girlfriend in that manner. If you want to relive yesterday, go ahead and continue with what you're doing. I'm sure it's on your list of priorities to forget what happened, but it did. Maybe you think I'm being cold to you, but I want to make sure you remember. Think about it before you try any more of your advances." He paused. "Get in here and sit down. We're starting club."  
  
***  
  
"Sae, I'm sorry." Takeo repeated the phrase for at least the fifth time on the way back from club and to Sae's home. "If I had known Aya would have acted--"  
  
"It doesn't matter." Sae smiled softly. "I hadn't expected him to react to the situation any other way. You see, Aburatsubo will always love you, and he has ever since I've known you. He could have any girl in the school, but he's chosen you. It's good to feel special like that, and it's why I'm uncomfortable in--"  
  
Fear coursed through Takeo's entire body in the split second in between Sae's words. He knew what the sentence was going to finish with. She was uncomfortable in her current relationship because Aya was splitting them apart. She felt guilty, as only Sae could, in that she might be holding Takeo back from pursuing a relationship with Aburatsubo. Takeo didn't want that. He wanted Sae, and only Sae, and he most certainly wasn't going to lose her to someone whose intentions were to break them apart.  
  
"Stop!" he heard himself blurt out as he spun around on the sidewalk and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't say anything, don't finish the sentence. Please." He sighed. "I don't know what to do about Aya, but it's not going to spoil our afternoon. I don't want this to be over before it starts, all right?"  
  
"All right." Sae gave him a small smile that instantly swept the worry from below Takeo's feet. He took her hand and they continued to walk down the sidewalk in silence for awhile before they arrived at the pier, where he had first instructed her in how to ride a broomstick. Had it really been three semesters ago? It seemed as if it were just yesterday.  
  
"I'm glad I brought some bread for the ducks." As the two of them settled down on a bench near the water, Sae searched through her bag in search of the bag of bread she had brought to throw in the water. Takeo smiled at her and let his thoughts drift far away from the bench.  
  
This moment was so perfect. Every moment, every movement since the kiss the night before had been flawless. There would have been no changes, in his mind at least, in this relationship. It had taken long enough for them to both realize their love for each other, probably too long, but it was all right now. They were together, and Takeo would have it no other way. He had so many surprises in store for Sae he couldn't wait to tell. To begin with, she was going to be the new president of the Magic Club after this school year was over. He was sure she was ready to take on the responsibility, although they might need to work to perfect her magic in the few weeks of summer he had off before going off to college. He'd be home on the weekends then, anyway, and only a phone call away.  
  
"Look at that duck!" Sae was laughing on the bench next to him. The ducks seemed to amuse her, and at almost seventeen years old she had the ability to act like such a child. The way the sunlight from the water reflected on her face as she stared at the ducks made her even more beautiful than she usually was. Takeo smiled to himself and realized that he truly was lucky. Most of the other boys in school would be after her if she would have them, and she wouldn't because she was too shy.  
  
"What are you doing tonight?" Takeo asked her as he picked up a piece of bread and tossed it, not really thinking.  
  
A sad look crept over Sae's face. "Saki's out with her boyfriend, and so I have dinner on my own tonight. Then I guess I'll do some homework and see what's on television." She shuffled on the seat next to him and he noticed she was slowly moving away.  
  
"I have a better idea," Takeo said happily. "Why don't you come for dinner at my place tonight? I want my parents and my sister to finally meet you. I think they'd look forward to it." He watched her and realized the response would be negative, so he spoke again. "Come on. Don't be alone tonight. I'd be breaking my promise to you."  
  
Sae swatted him playfully on the arm. "I guess you would be, then. You wouldn't be my knight in shining armor, then, would you?" She got up and kissed him softly. "I'd better go and get ready, then. Tonight's a special night." She picked up her bag and walked off in the distance towards her house. Takeo sat on the bench, still shocked at his luck. 


	5. Episode 05

Love's Magic, Episode 05  
By Joanna  
  
As Sae rang Takeo's doorbell later that afternoon, she didn't know what she felt. It was mostly nervous anticipation. She had hardly ever met his family before, and it had taken her an entire hour to decide what to wear. Not wanting to be too revealing, she was compelled to wear something that covered nearly her entire body, but at the same time she wanted it to be-- wanted it to be for Takeo, mostly, and for after dinner. She shook her head and smiled to herself in the darkness as she realized what strange and different thoughts she was beginning to have.  
  
She had finally decided on a plain white dress she had worn once to a party with her sister. It came up to her shoulders with spaghetti straps, but came down past her knees so it wasn't as revealing as it seemed. Upon her neck was a matching necklace and she had a white purse and shoes, so she was very put together. As the door began to creak open, she gulped audibly and wondered if the Takakura household would welcome her or turn her away.  
  
Takeo was the one at the door, and she sighed with relief and then smiled shyly at the way he was standing there, like he was going to catch a bug in his mouth. He stammered and took as step backwards, as dumbfounded as the old Takeo she knew would be. She thought that the flailing motion he made with his one arm was an invitation inside, but instead he took a step outside, shut the door behind it, and leaned on it for support.  
  
"You don't like it?" she whispered, clearly believing it for the truth.  
  
"You look," Takeo said, taking her hand, "so beautiful." He put his hands gently on her shoulders and kissed her softly. Sae withdrew and leaned against him for a moment.  
  
"After dinner," she said. "It wouldn't make a good impression for your little sister to find us like this."  
  
"What a disappointment." Takeo ran his hand through his hair and opened the door. "Although you're right, Sawanoguchi-chan."  
  
Sae had been in Takeo's apartment many times before during various club activites, although she had never taken a good look at the surroundings. Though from the outside it might appear small, it was a good deal bigger on the inside. The furnishing was nice, and a delicious scent came from the kitchen as Takeo's little sister came running out to greet her. Sae had to laugh at the resemblence between the two, though she was sure Takeo would never agree to see it.  
  
"You're Takeo's new girlfriend?" she said as she ate a cookie and sat on the couch. "You're certainly more pretty than I would have imagined, considering onii-san's perverted tendencies." The girl scarfed the rest of the cookie and considered Sae again. "You look nice, though. I just wouldn't trust him on a dark night in the--"  
  
"That's quite enough!" Takeo's face was red. "It's no wonder my other friends flee from this place. You're such a monster." With that, he sat down on the couch and began tickling his sister, who laughed with glee and gave him a quick hug before running off into the kitchen.  
  
When Sae was younger, she and Saki had acted like that all the time. Although there was an age difference between them, they were still best friends. Saki got older and became much more outgoing, and Sae was shy and rarely went out to clubs or to parties even though she was almost an adult. That was why most people were quite surprised to see her with Takeo. It was a rare occurance that Sae would ever be with anyone. It was like her to be lonely, and only talk to Nanaka. In her entire life, Nanaka was the only person who had ever really been there for her-- and she was looking forward to adding Takeo to the list.  
  
At this point, a voice beckoned them towards the kitchen. Takeo's sister was bounding about an older woman, who was attempting to put supper on the table. Sae took the heavy plate from her hands and put it on the table and smiled at her before introducing herself. The woman swept her hair off her face with a free hand and Sae realized just how much she looked like Takeo.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you, Sae," she said as she shook her hand warmly. "Takeo has told us so much about you, and I was wondering if we were ever going to meet you! He's told me the two of you are dating now, and I think that's just so cute." Her cheeks flushed. "I won't bother you about that, let's just sit down to dinner."  
  
Sae sat down to a delicious dinner full of lively conversation. In her entire life, she had never felt so much at home. It was difficult for her to comprehend the idea of a family life, as she had never really had one. As long as she could remember Saki had raised her. It was all right, to her, not to have parents that cooked dinner every night and tucked you into bed, but it was an entirely different story to have parents that lived in a different city and called you once every few weeks to make sure you were still alive.  
  
After she had helped Takakura-san clean up the dinner dishes, she heard a voice calling to her from outside. She realized it was Takeo, and with a smile slid out the back door. Just as soon as the door was shut behind them he wrapped his arms around her. Puzzled, Sae looked up into his eyes to find a worried expression.  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked him gently.  
  
"I should be asking you that," he said, leaning down so their foreheads touched. "You were sitting at the dinner table like you were in pain the entire time. Is my family really that bad to you? Is there something you're not telling me?"  
  
Uninstinctively, Sae backed away. "It's not that, Takeo-chan. I didn't even realize I was making a face. Maybe I was just feeling inwardly uncomfortable because I wasn't used to a family situation like that. I guess I'm being silly." She tried to laugh and put her hands on Takeo's shoulders. "I don't think I insulted your mother. Did I?"  
  
"She loves you," Takeo said softly. "It's so clear to see that she does. The little brat even is affectionate towards you. They just want to make you feel at home." He paused. "Don't get angry with me, but I've told them a little bit about your background. It's not that they feel bad for you, it's that they want to provide you with what they don't think you have, because I care for you so much."  
  
"I'm not angry with you." Sae said. "Maybe you should have told them about me. It's best that if they... if they didn't approve of us seeing each other that it came earlier in the relationship instead of later. If you had waited-- if you had waited much longer than this, Takeo, my heart would break."  
  
For a long, silent moment, Sae leaned in and rested her head against his chest. She let him fully support her, and it was a comforting feeling. If the rest of the world, namely, Aburatsubo, was going to come crashing down around her, this was a good place to hide. She had never realized everyone's jealousies and what they thought of her. While Nanaka had acted thrilled on the phone when she had told her of her new boyfriend, she had almost been avoiding her both in school and in club the past day or so. After she had gotten home from club today, she wasn't even home. Something was clearly going on and Sae had no idea what it was. Not that it mattered right now. At this moment, the only other person in the world that made any difference was holding her in his embrace.  
  
...but what about Nanaka? 


	6. Episode 06

Love's Magic Episode 06  
By Joanna  
  
I have waited for a very long time to tell you of my love for you. Perhaps I may have concealed it as of late, but it has taken me awhile to realize that you are the only one I will ever care for. Though I know you may have found someone you love more, I will hold the idea that you might meet me and listen to what I have to say on the subject. This letter does not hold within it the flame of passion I feel whenever I hear your name. If you can find it in your heart, please meet me by the docks at seven 'o clock this evening.  
  
Sincerely yours,  
Your secret admirer  
  
Nanaka held the pink sheet of paper between her thumb and forefinger and read it again in the dim streetlight. She realized she was shaking, and wrapped her arms around herself. At that moment, she decided she was becoming obsessive. Ever since she found the note in her locker, she had been carrying it with her. She opened her hand, letting go of the paper and letting it drift off the docks and be carried into the water of the sea. She had no idea who she was meeting or why she bothered to come. It was potentially dangerous, but her mother certainly hadn't cared as she had sat down at the kitchen table with the bottle of vodka after dinner that evening. She probably hadn't even noticed her go out.  
  
Nevertheless, she was always ready for love to come and find her. She had worn a slightly seductive green dress that brought out her hair and her eyes, and had tied a bow in her hair. It wasn't like her to dress up for any occassion at all, but she couldn't hide from herself that she was slightly jealous of Sae's new and fairy-tale romance with her senior, Takakura Takeo. Her own dreams were of a different sort and belonged to someone who would never care for her in return. She had made the mistake, as many other girls in Kitanohashi High did, of falling in love with Aburatsubo Aya. Aya's love belonged to one person and one person only-- Takeo.  
  
"Nanaka?"  
  
Nanaka bristled and spun around. The night was dark, but the artificial light from the streetlamps shone enough to reveal a tall, masculine body. As she blindly stepped forward, more and more features were revealed. Long, reddish-brown hair. Clear eyes that seemed to pierce her all the way down to her heart, which was beating out of control. She managed to take a few steps forward before words formed on her lips.  
  
"Sempai? It's-- it's good to see you here, sempai." Nanaka blinked again, half-expecting the image to float away before her eyes.  
  
Aburatsubo looked like he was having some trouble understanding why Nanaka was standing there as well. He advanced towards her, but he was clearly looking over her shoulder for someone else. Nanaka's shoulders slumped. No wonder the note hadn't been addressed! Aburatsubo had written it, but he had put it in the wrong locker. It was probably to Takeo, but wouldn't he know that his locker was in a different hallway? Confused, she put a hand on his shoulder to break his daze.  
  
"Where's Sae?" he blurted.  
  
She quickly withdrew her hand. "Sae? What do you mean? Sae's not here." Tears began to cascade down her face as she studied the intricate textures of the wooden pier. "The note... the note was to her?"  
  
Aburatsubo blinked as he stared at her. "The note was supposed to be placed in Sae's locker. Why are you here, and why isn't she?"  
  
He was oblivious to the fact that she was now choking on her sobs. She turned her head so he wouldn't see and tried to pull together a steady voice in which to speak. "There must have been some sort of a mix-up, Sempai. I found the letter you wrote in my locker and not Sae's. That's why I'm here. I think she went to Takeo's house for supper tonight, to meet his family."  
  
"Dammit!" Aya shook his fist in the air and began to pace. "I know she was supposed to be over Takeo's house tonight. I was trying to lure her out of there, and now?" It was his turn to look at the ground. "I've never met Takeo's family." This statement was muttered so low even Nanaka had to strain to hear it. "She's been dating him a little over a day and he's let her more into his life than I'll ever be allowed."  
  
Nanaka dried her tears and she realized what would have happened to Sae if she had met Aburatsubo on this lonely pier so late at night. He was probably out to threaten her, to frighten her away from Takeo. The Aya she had known since the beginning of last year would never do something so ruthless, so cruel. The dress that she had felt so sexy in before began to cling to her and she began to shiver. Sae was her best friend, and the man she had come to love was trying to make her life miserable. She just wouldn't stand for it. It didn't matter if he were her Senior or not. They weren't in school, and those rules didn't matter.  
  
"You were coming here," she said, her voice now a growl, "to do something to Sae, weren't you?" She took a step forward. "How could you, Sempai? It's just not-- it's morally wrong!" Another step forward. "Who are you? Do you really love Takeo that much?" Closer still. "Don't you think you'd make him feel worse if you did anything to someone he cares for so much?"  
  
She hadn't realized it before, but now they were nearly inches apart. Her advances had done nothing to push him back, and he was standing there now with a strange look in his eyes as he evaluated the situation. Nanaka wanted to pull away, but she just couldn't. As she peered closer she could peel away the layer of self-doubt and anger to what was really there. Inside, Aburatsubo was suffering that Takeo had found someone he had loved so much and that it wasn't him. They were going to be leaving for college in two short weeks, and while Nanaka knew there was nothing she could do to change the situation-- she certainly wasn't going to let it stop her from trying.  
  
"Sempai," Nanaka returned her hand to his shoulder and spoke in a much softer tone. "I do want to see this through just as much as you do. Tell me what you want, and I'll try to make it work. I care about Sae, so my only condition is that you will do nothing either directly or indirectly to harm her."  
  
"I'm not attracted to you," he said bluntly, and turned away. Her hand was nearly flailing in the air as she tried to guide it back to her body, but she couldn't. Aburatsubo had begun a brisk pace in the other direction, but her footsteps were carrying her closer, closer still. She wouldn't have known this except that the heels of her shoes were clacking hard against the pier as her walk broke into a jog, and later into a run. She was chasing him down an empty alley, and she was going to give it her all to catch up to him. For no reason at all, she had him now, and she wasn't going to let him go.  
  
Unless she fell.  
  
The outrageously-high platform shoe caught into a crack in the pavement and sent her flying onto the ground. The cement scraped her arms and legs, bare from the dress, tears came to her eyes again as she realized she would never catch him now. She didn't need to lift her head to see that he was out of sight, gone from her forever now. He'd go on living a life that he didn't want to, that he knew wasn't what he wanted. Eventually he'd catch up to someone-- Sae, and find a way to hurt her or do something to her that would get Takeo not to talk to him ever again.  
  
"Nanaka?"  
  
The colors of the objects around her began to blur into one stripe of disgusting color. She didn't know whether it was the tears in her eyes that were beginning to spill over, or that she was just angry with everything and everyone she'd ever felt close to. Aburatsubo loved Takeo and not her, and his love was the only thing that could bring warmth to her. Takeo ignored Aburatsubo for Sae, which made Aya angry and Nanaka even more upset. Sae disregarded her and was just happy now that she was living in paradise with her "Prince Charming." Akane? She hadn't seen Akane in over a week. So much of a friend.  
  
"Can you hear me, Nanaka? You're badly hurt. We have to take you--" Aburatsubo's voice lingered, but it was quickly becoming further and further away.   
  
I'm just dreaming, Nanaka thought as she drifted towards unconciousness. I'm imagining that Aya's here, and that he cares about me.   
  
She just couldn't shake the warmth that envloped her as she lost her senses altogether. 


	7. Episode 07

Love's Magic, Episode 07  
  
By Joanna  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Starting this episode, we will have commercial breaks in the story, just like the television show. Since we have three completely different plotlines going on, and Akane has not yet been introduced! This will also allow you to see what your favorite character is doing, and not have to wait. ^_^  
  
"Aya-kins! I made a fish casserole, it's in the 'fridge!"  
  
Aburatsubo's mother was answered with the slamming of the household's front door. Aya himself fumbled with his keys, locking the door behind him and finally throwing them on a table before racing to his room. With the condition he was in right now, it was best not to have a confrontation with his mother.  
  
Of course, part of the problem was that his underclassman, Nakatomi Nanaka, was resting safely in his arms. He remembered all too well their run-in at the pier. He'd left a note in her locker by accident, and while she had only tried to help he'd been difficult. Their evening had ended in a chase scene that left Nanaka many cuts and bruises, as well as only being half- concious.  
  
Was it guilt that led them here? Aburatsubo wasn't sure. He knew it was his fault that Nakatomi was hurt. He had brought her to his house because he had no other choice, and he kept telling himself that. There was no way she could be taken home-- even if they were quiet and her parents wouldn't know. As soon as she spoke with them, they would think much worse of Aya himself than just causing her a fall.  
  
"Hm, Sempai?" Nakatomi's eyelids fluttered open again. Aya tried to ignore that she had taken a handful of his shirt in her hand as she rested her head on his chest. "Where are we?"  
  
"Shh, we're home, Nakatomi. I'm going to get your cuts bandaged and you can get some sleep."  
  
Nanaka just smiled and closed her eyes again. Aya cringed at how peaceful she looked. It was if she was almost comfortable where she was. He struggled with his initial instincts-- part of him wanted to drop her to the floor, and the other part wanted to hold her closer to protect her innocent smile.  
  
He settled for resting her on his bed and heading for the bathroom closet.  
  
As he dug through its contents looking for some rubbing alcohol and some bandages, he had a flashback to earlier in the year. Nakatomi and himself had been in the Magic Club room by themselves, and Nanaka had admitted her love to him. Aburatsubo wondered if it still held true-- not that it mattered, but if the reason she wanted to help him was because she knew she could never have him for her own. As soon as she was well enough, some questions were in order.  
  
When he returned to his room, Nakatomi had pulled herself up and was groggily resting her head on the wall behind the bed. She looked so vulnerable, but Aburatsubo was surprised when a small smile played on her lips. "I'm pretty clumsy, aren't I?" She asked softly.  
  
"It's not your fault." Aburatsubo tried very hard to keep his voice a monotone. "You fell because you were chasing me. I should be apologizing to you." He dipped some cotton into the alcohol and applied it gently to the gash on her forehead. She winced, and his hand instinctively fell to her shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's going to hurt."  
  
"It's all right, Sempai." Nakatomi's eyes fell to the floor. "It's not like I haven't been hurt before."  
  
[commercial break]  
  
For a Friday night, this date was bordering on boring.  
  
Aikawa Akane peered at herself for about the fifth time in the tiny Main Street cafe's bathroom mirror. There were only so many times a girl could apply lip gloss in two hours. She squinted at herself, and wondered why she had even bothered accepting this invitation in the first place.  
  
Another glance at the involuntary flush on her cheeks, and then she knew.  
  
He was his cousin. The cousin of Jurika Jinno, her crush all last semester. He had ignored her, fallen for her friend-- no, her upperclassman, Sae Sawanoguchi. It wasn't fair, and the world knew it. She was Aikawa, the supermodel freshman with more popularity than most of the seniors. She had had more boyfriends than three people in the high school, combined, and kept a notebook of her date times and locations as well as phone numbers of potential prom choices. Sae was so plain, so simple-- and she had said good- bye. Akane would never stop trying so easily.  
  
For the last few months, she and Jurika had been writing back and forth to each other through e-mail on a regular basis. When he had mentioned that his cousin, one of whom he was living with in the United States, where he was now-- would be attending college in Tokyo this coming school year, Akane couldn't resist. Even though he was no more than prey in her seach to see Jurika again, she had to play it cautiously so that when she broke it to him that they weren't right for each other, he wouldn't be too upset.  
  
She snapped her compact shut and placed it in her purse. With a last smile at her reflection in the mirror, she spun on one heel and glided gracefully back into the cafe. Heads turned on either side of the aisle as she flashed a warm smile to last week's date, who was sitting across from a girl that wasn't worth having; and it was pure bliss to watch his mouth hang open as she took a seat across from Jurika's cousin.  
  
He wasn't worth having either, but she could pretend.  
  
"How are you today?" the waitress asked as she questioned them for their orders. Akane ordered a modest dinner-- a chicken salad and a glass of water, and wrinkled her nose as her date ordered a double cheesburger and a side of fries. Holy matrimony clearly wasn't the case here.  
  
As she rested her head in her hands, she examined the boy across from her. He had none of the qualities she had found attractive in Jurika. He was boring, one of those pocket protector types that you wondered about what happened to them beyond the surface, but once you made out with them in the bushes behind the park you found that it was absolutely nothing at all. Akane raised an eyebrow and put her napkin in her lap.  
  
"Hey!" he said, leaning precariously too close to her. "Did you hear about the new role-playing game in the--"  
  
Akane instantly hit the "mute" button in her head. Things like that didn't interest her. She made sure to nod her head, smile and giggle to fill the breaks in the conversation. She smiled even more when the waitress brought their food and he could stuff his face instead of speaking to her. As she picked at her salad, she grimaced.  
  
It could be the entire summer before she'd see Jurika again. Until he would decide to come and visit his cousin, there was no way Akane could persuade him to stay. Until then, she'd have to be the only one to hang off the arm of someone who restrained her from seeing other boys.  
  
The whole summer? That would be too, too long. 


	8. Episode 08

Love's Magic, Episode 08  
By Joanna  
  
  
Nanaka didn't want to cry, and it was becoming harder and harder not to. It wasn't the physical pain that was making her shoulders shake as Aburatsubo tried to clean her wounds. It was the fact that she was sitting so close to him-- close enough to be described as even intimate-- and she couldn't do anything to make him feel any better about what was happening to Takeo. He would just shrug her off.  
  
As he placed a bandage over the cut on her forehead, she watched him ponder. Her comment from about two minutes earlier, about her being hurt before, was much more than she wanted him to know. Her family problems were something she shared with no one-- the only one in the world that knew was Sae, because she had witnessed a fight between her mother and her father one night after dinner. She wondered if she should say something.  
  
"I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "About before. I never should have made you feel threatened, if that's what it was. I'm just... I'm just so sorry."  
  
Aburatsubo dropped the bottle of alcohol to the floor. Neither of them looked to see which way it landed. Nanaka felt her head drop and she traced the outlines of the printed sheets on his bed with her finger. There was a silence between them, and finally it was cut off.  
  
"I told you," Aya said quietly. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I know how you feel, Nakatomi. You told me, have you forgotten?"  
  
"You remember that?" Nanaka looked up with a smile. "I thought you had forgotten long ago. I'm sure I'm not the first girl that's proclaimed their love to you." She stopped, but forced the next words out. "But I was the only one too selfish to ignore what was going on beneath the surface."  
  
"You're not selfish, Nanaka. You're always only trying to help." Nanaka's eyes widened at his reference to her name, and even more so when he leaned over and took her hands. "I'm the one that's always so cruel to you. You should have left me long ago in search for a better upperclassmen-- a better friend."  
  
"I didn't want to," Nanaka said, losing the power behind her voice. "To be completely honest, I only thought that one day, maybe--" Then she stopped. She was being foolish. Aya was only lying to her to make her feel better, she was selfish. There would be no relationship betweent the two of them. Aya's love was for Takeo, and would be for a very long time, even after the two of them graduated from high school.  
  
"You thought that one day the two of us might be more than that?" Aburatsubo still hadn't let go of her hands. There was nothing Nanaka could do to stop her heart from racing as he leaned closer. "Maybe, Nanaka... maybe I'm being the one that's making the mistake. I think Takeo has finally made up his mind as far as his love goes. Someday, the two of us will meet at a party, he'll be with Sae and their poodle and their children from their high-rise penthouse, and I'll be... and I'll be..."  
  
"...and you'll be?" Nanaka breathed.  
  
"Maybe I'll be with you, Nanaka." Aya smiled kindly at her. "You never know. We'll live in one of those little apartments, and we'll have goldfish, and we'll adopt children, and we'll be happy."  
  
"Are you proposing to me, Sempai?" Nanaka's hand flew to cover her mouth before she realized what she said.  
  
"You never know."  
  
Nanaka's eyes widened as she felt his lips against her own. He pulled away gently, the kiss was a question, an inquisition as to whether or not she wanted it. She responded by gently pushing forward, and she felt his hands fall from hers and reappear at her back as he placed his arms around her and they fell back against the pillows of his bed. Nothing hurt anymore, Nanaka's cuts and bruises became minor and unimportant as she wrapped her arms around him.  
  
After a minute, she pulled away. "No more schemes?" She looked into his eyes with all she had. Before she could even question a relationship, she had to know. It was a hard question, but a telling one.  
  
"No more schemes."  
  
She had to say nothing to that, only to act as she settled into another kiss and then snuggled against him. It was the best thing she could think of to do, and she'd love him with all her heart. She knew he knew that as well as she did.  
  
[commercial break]  
  
"Takeo-chan?"  
  
Takeo smiled gently as Sae opened her eyes slowly and gazed out into the summer night. After the evening chores had been done, they had snuck into the backyard again and sat in the long wooden bench swing Takeo's father had hung in their oak tree, so long ago. Not long after Sae had fallen asleep against his shoulder.  
  
"How long have I been asleep?" she murmured, sitting up and stretching.  
  
"Not very long," Takeo said. "Maybe a half an hour."  
  
"I guess I should go home." Takeo felt her get up, and as she did so he took her hand gently in his own. She looked at him questioningly, and then sat back down. "Yeess?" she asked slowly.  
  
"Don't go." He said it as a command, and he meant it. He didn't know for what reason or why, but he didn't want to go back in the house when Sae would be returning to an empty one. He truly cared about her more than any girl he'd ever known. "When is Saki getting back?"  
  
"Probably not until very early tomorrow morning." Sae rolled her eyes. "If she doesn't spent the night in her boyfriend's apartment."  
  
"Then stay." Takeo let go of her hand and took a stronger grip as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Stay tonight. With us-- I mean, you and me and my mother and my sister. Mostly you and me, but of course they'll be there and of course, we won't-- I mean, Sae, I mean..." He realized he was rambling and then pulled her close and raised his eyebrows. "We're not going to do anything naughty, are we?"  
  
"I don't know, are we?" He laughed as he saw the playful look in her eyes. "What time does your sister go to bed?" She gave over to laughing also, and the two of them fell off the swing and into the grass. Her eyes widened as he saw she realized she had landed on top of him, but then she settled he head down on his chest and closed her eyes.  
  
"Do you remember?" she asked him. "That time we were learning how to ride our broomsticks, and I fell on top of you? You were so polite to me, then, and now..." She swatted him gently on the face, although her eyes were still shut. "I have to put up with this."  
  
"Oh, yes." Takeo readjusted their positions so he could look into her eyes. "This is what you're stuck with."  
  
He was caught completely by surprise when she leaped off of him, took his hand, and began to drag him into the house. "What are we doing, Sae?"  
  
"It's past your sister's bedtime," she said with a wink as she held the door open for him. 


	9. Episode 09

Love's Magic, Episode 09  
By Joanna  
  
"Did you have a nice time last night?"  
  
Akane wrinkled her nose as she held her "boyfriend's" hand on a leisurely walk though the park. Of course she had had a good time last night, what else could she say? Juiren certainly wasn't going to accept any other answer, and she had to keep him around long enough to see Jurika again.  
  
...this was also far too soon for a follow-up date. Only ten hours had passed, not three days, as it was usually said. Here the two of them were, up with the birds, and Akane had to apply a double-layer of foundation to look as springtime-fresh as she usually did with about three hours more sleep. Was this really worth it? A picture of Jurika waving to them all as he left for the station the last day she saw him entered her mind. Of course it was worth it.  
  
"I had a great time last night." She stopped walking, dropped his hand and slipped her arm around his waist, internally cringing. "Why wouldn't I have a nice time? I was with you."  
  
As far as flirting tactics went, she was the best. She could have had any guy in the school, regardless of age or year. Instead, she was skipping happily though the forest with a guy who was much more interested in the trees and the animals and the rocks than the fact that he was currently dating the most popular girl in Kitanohashi High School. If he kept this up, Akane might have to dump him to save his repuatation. She was going to have to show him just what he had.   
  
"Juiren, this is so romantic!" She was happy to take her arm away from him as she jogged a few steps into the forest that surrounded the park's eastern edge. "What a wonderful place for a date." Akane found a large rock to sit on, grimacing visibly as she thought of what the dirt would do to her new white Gucci skirt.  
  
Juiren was cautious, she was sure, but he slipped himself down to sit on the rock next to her. He didn't know what he was doing, she reasoned next as she leaned her head on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. She slid her arms around her neck and brought his face to hers, giving him a deep and passionate, grade-A Akane kiss. The night before, he had only kissed her on the cheek when they had said good-bye. When she pulled away, he was staring at her like she was some kind of strange bug he had discovered on one of his forest walks.  
  
"Uh... Akane," he stammered. "I've been thinking about this since last night, and I was wondering... Would you consider seeing me, seriously? You're a great person and I would love to know you better."  
  
"I would have no problem with that at all," said Akane, and they got right back to business.  
  
[commercial break]  
  
Bring, bring! Bring, bring! BRING BRING! BRIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIING!  
  
Sae pulled the pillow out from behind her head and used it to cover up the seemingly endless sound of the phone ringing. It had broken the perfect silence of the Takakura household on a Saturday morning, something she wasn't used to as it was rare in her house. Saki was constantly having her boyfriend spend the evening now, and they were usually laughing in the kitchen while their coffee perked, by this hour at least.  
  
"'keo, getta phone," she mumbled before turning to her left to look at Takeo. He was still asleep. She shoved him playfully, then blushed as she realized as the collar of one of Takeo's shirts, which she had used to sleep in, was far too low against her chest. She pulled it up and wondered why she had slept in the same bed with him, she had almost been far too shy. And anything else-- anything else at all, including a small physical adventure that she wasn't quite ready for, was far away from this bed. Takeo completely understood her and it put her at ease. That was why she was there.  
  
"Good morning, sunshine." One of Takeo's eyes opened and he pulled her close to him. Even in the early morning, he was still as warm and comforting against her as he had been any other time of the day. Sae felt herself smiling as if she'd just won the Nobel Prize as she closed her eyes and started to drift off again. The phone had stopped ringing, and once again the world was perfect.  
  
Bring.  
  
It sounded like a squeak at first, and then got gradually louder. In one quick motion, Sae got up, threw off the covers, and walked into the kitchen. She looked at the phone, the Caller ID showed the Abruatsubo household.  
  
She froze.  
  
This was probably nothing out of the ordinary, Aya and Takeo were best friends. They probably called each other all the time, and outside from currently being in a fight there was no reason why Aburatsubo shouldn't or wouldn't call. It was Saturday, he was probably calling to make plans with Takeo, and he had every right to do so. He probably wouldn't be too pleased to hear Sae on the other line, but she certainly wasn't going to get Takeo back out of bed.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"...Sae?"  
  
Sae nearly dropped the phone. The voice on the other line was Nanaka's! She glanced at the clock on the wall. What in the world could Nanaka be doing over Aya's house at eight 'o clock in the morning?  
  
"What are you doing at Aburatsubo's at this hour?" She winced as soon as she said it, but it was the first thought that came to her.  
  
"Probably the same thing you're doing over Takeo's." Nanaka laughed.   
  
Sae felt her face turn red as a blush placed itself there. She wrapped the shirt more tightly around her as she responded. "Probably not. Takeo's sleeping. What's up?"  
  
"I called over to your place and Saki answered the phone and said you hadn't come home last night. I was originally calling Takeo to see if he knew where you are, but I've found you now!"  
  
"Yeah, well, I came for dinner and ended up spending the night. I mean, not spending the night, I mean--" Sae was at the same loss of words Takeo had been the night before when he had invited her to stay.  
  
"I know." she could see Nanaka literally rolling her eyes. "Listen, Aya and I are going out to dinner at that fancy French restaurant that's just opening downtown. He said he'd make the reservation for four if the two of you were interested."  
  
It took a minute for Sae to recover from the surprise. Something must have happened, because this sounded completely unlike the way Aburatsubo been acting lately. Nonetheless, Nanaka sounded genuinely excited, and so it was worth it even if they were walking straight into something they didn't want to be involved in.  
  
"All right," she found herself saying.  
  
"See you at the front doors at seven. Have Takeo pick you up." The phone clicked on the other line.  
  
Sae just shook her head as she placed it back on the reciever. 


	10. Episode 10

Love's Magic, Episode 10  
By Joanna  
  
  
Aya Aburatsubo was truly in a bind. For the first time in his life, he had done something truly unexplainable. Something he didn't have any other reason for. He wasn't exactly sure he liked it, or if he was pleased with himself. In the few spare hours in between Nanaka's departure and their meeting again at the Chez Aime that evening, he decided to take a bath.  
  
Now here he was, glaring at his reflection in the tiles as he let the warm bathwater soak up to his neck. Was he glad that Nanaka had spent the night? He wasn't altogether sure. It wasn't exactly easy for them to hide her from his mother, but at the same time they had managed it. The evening had been quite romantic, there was no question in that he had enjoyed everything that had happened, it was just-- for, to be quite frank, a nonsexual experience it had been more than utterly fufilling. It had been enough.  
  
Did he want more?  
  
"Nakatomi," he muttered and sighed as he stared up at the cieling.   
  
There was no question that Nanaka cared about him-- was in love with him. She had told him at two different times the past year, it was just that he was so blind with his advances on Takeo he hadn't even taken them into consideration. She was pretty, pretty enough for a sophomore, and he had no question that as she became older she would be beautiful. He was probably lucky to have her-- out of all the girls who had ever told him they were in love with him, she was the least strange. He had to be appreciative of that, and wasn't he?  
  
"Am I using her just because I can't have Takeo?" he asked the reflection. It stared back at him and blinked. "Dammit!"   
  
With that, he sat up and pressed his fist full-force into the bathwater, sending it spraying every which way. In one quick motion, he grabbed a towel and dashed out of the bathroom and shut the door, turning on his music up as loud as possible. He grabbed an undershirt and a pair of sweatpants and sat on his bead, his head in his hands.  
  
Girls. They just weren't worth it. He couldn't even have a peaceful bath anymore without them invading his thoughts. What was happening? He thought the only person for him would always be Takeo, whether or not he returned the affections. It was now easy to see that his friend was quite happy with Sae, the way they smiled at each other as they held hands in the hallways at school was more than enough to prove that. It was also enough to make him insanely jealous. But after last night, the constriction that had enclosed his entire body was beginning to lessen, and with every kiss he shared with Nanaka he was becoming even more free.   
  
Aya took his head from his hands and leaned back against the wall. Shaking his head, he stopped his thoughts entirely and walked to his closet in search of something formal to wear to the restaurant that evening.  
  
He was falling in love with Nanaka, and there was nothing that could possible stop it. Hell, he was doing it whether he wanted to or not.  
  
[Commercial break]  
  
"Raise your arm a little higher. Yes, yes, Akane, that's perfect!"  
  
What a loser. Akane faked a smile, lifted her arm so that it was level to her face, and turned around in the swimsuit she was modeling. These shoots were just for money, but somehow she was convinced that the directors were having more fun out of it than anyone else was. They were usually perverted old men who got serious kicks out of seeing teenage girls in bikinis.  
  
"Not today," she whispered softly to herself as she looked in the direction of Juiren, who was sitting in the front row with his legs crossed as he watched the whole scene. For the first time, she'd be able to walk comfortably out of a shoot without worrying about the onslaught of strangers who might want to ask her out on a date. Just a few weeks ago, she had loved chancing on a stranger, to see what was going to happen. Now, she had something she had to accomplish. The faster she made Juiren think he was in love, the faster she'd see Jurika again.   
  
Sae Sawanoguchi. She gritted her teeth in her perfect grin as she did a back shot. Jurika had been in love with her. He'd kissed her-- twice-- when she hardly deserved a passing glance. Maybe at one point she and Sae had been good friends, but after the first semester of school everything had slowly deteriorated. It didn't matter, anyway. Aburatsubo and Takakura had only a few more days now before they graduated, and since Sae and Takeo were sweethearts she would be the new president of the Magic Club, without a doubt. That didn't matter to Akane anyway, she had already planned to quit. Now that she had magic and knew how to control it, she could learn more on her own than she ever would in a club. All she needed now was Jurika.   
  
"That's a wrap for the day!" the shoot director motioned to Akane from the stage, and as she approached him she grinned softly. "Hey," he said. "Want to go out and--"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm seeing someone." Akane breezed right past him and into Juiren's arms. Whether or not everything she was doing right now had no purpose, it would only be a matter of the summer before Jurika returned, she was sure of it.   
  
"You had a great shoot today," Juiren said as they walked out of the building holding hands. "I was truly impressed. You really are professional. I didn't think models were that way."  
  
"Well, not all of us are as stupid as we appear to be." She opened the door to his sportscar and climbed into the passenger's side. "Modeling takes a lot of hard work. You have to know what you're doing." She leaned over to him in the driver's seat as he got in. "That's not to say I don't know-- a lot-- about other things, too."  
  
Just a little bit more time, she could taste in his kiss. A few more weeks and I won't have to put up with this charade. I'll have everything I want-- the man of my dreams, and Sae Sawanoguchi in tears. 


	11. Episode 11

Love's Magic, Episode 11  
By Joanna  
  
"Come on, move it!"  
  
Takeo pounded his fist on the steering wheel of his car and put his head in his hands. He was already a half an hour late in picking up Sae to go to the Chez Amie, and he was frustrated with his family on top of that. All the while he was getting ready, his mother buzzed about asking him personal questions about his relationship with Sae, while his sister pestered him because she wasn't allowed to come along. It just wasn't right.  
  
Just because she hasn't found that love has made her happy doesn't mean she can ruin things between Sae and me, he thought as he sailed through the streetlight when it turned green. She could, if she wanted to. She just doesn't try hard enough. When she said that it was all right for Sae to stay the night last night, I thought it was becaues she thought we were going to have a decent relationship, not just another way for her to bug me about my girlfriend.  
  
He turned the car onto Sae's street on two wheels and soared down it as quickly as possible. When he got to her front door, he saw her standing there with a frown on her face. With a grimace, he got out of the car and walked to the door. When she saw him, her face lit up, but he could still tell she was disappointed because he was late.   
  
"Hi, Takeo," she said as she leaned in for a kiss.  
  
"Hey." After a glance at the floor, he peered up at her. "Sorry I'm late. My family--"  
  
"I know," Sae said with a smile. "Your mother already called and apologized for keeping you. She said that you were on your way."  
  
At that, Takeo smiled and all his initial anger faded away. It allowed him to get a good look at Sae, who was standing in front of him in a gorgeous red cocktail dress and high-heeled sandals to match. Her once wild red-orange hair had gotten quite a bit longer since the first semester, and she had it up on the top of her head. There was no question that he was the luckiest guy in the world. He showed up late and she didn't even seem to care. There was a deeper, unsaid understanding between the two of them.  
  
"You look," he stammered, feeling some of his immature, boyish traits returning, "absolutely... absolutely perfect."  
  
With that, she fell into his arms and he couldn't help letting a smile come to his face. At least she felt safe when she was with him. He couldn't help anything that was going on in her family-- he could be angry with everyone for running of and deserting her, but that was really it. His job was to let her know that there was always someone else that she could turn to, even though they weren't related, that would always stand by her. He knew Nanaka was the same way, and Aburatsubo would slowly come around because of his new relationship with Sae's best friend. Sae had that affect on people, and sooner or later Aya would have to see her for just who she was.  
  
[Commercial break]  
  
They were certainly at a loss for conversation.  
  
Where are you, Sae? Nanaka sipped her water and drummed her fingers on the table. She and Aya were certainly off-balance at the moment, almost as if he had forgotten about everything they had said and did last night. Did he mean any of it? Was he just desperate because she was all he had? Before she could catch them, tears began to form in her eyes and she gazed down at the ground. There was no way she was going to let Aburatsubo see her cry.  
  
"I wonder where they are," he said dully.   
  
"Yeah," she muttered, fixing her napkin in her lap yet again. She shoved back the tears for the moment and concentrated on her water glass. Aburatsubo was looking away, more at the door than at her, as if he were going to jump up the moment their two friends arrived. There was an extended silence as the two of them proceeded to appear the least like they knew each other, although they were sitting across from each other in their best outfits in the fanciest restaurant in town.  
  
"Nanaka?" he asked, moving the glass away.  
  
"What?" she asked sharply. It was hard not to glare, but she felt her gaze soften as he began to stare at the tablecloth.  
  
"It's nothing," he replied, lifting his head up and placing his elbows on the table to support it with his hands. "You were just... the water glass was... I couldn't see your face."  
  
"Oh," Nanaka said. After a brief moment where she fidgeted with her napkin, she assumed the same position. "Do you want to talk? I mean, do you want to talk about... last night?"  
  
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked. "About, you know, how we finally didn't..."  
  
"No!" Nanaka stared at him. "Is that what... is that what you thought I was..."  
  
"No, I just thought that was what you were implying, that's all. Most girls and guys our age would want that chance if they had it."  
  
Nanaka thought it would take a few seconds for the right words to come, but she had them immediately. "You're not most guys our age, Aya."  
  
That was when she realized that since they were both sitting with their heads in their hands, there were only a few inches separating them. In the dim light of the restaurant, Nanaka couldn't see the people at the other tables, and so there was no problem when Aya reached over to brush a few strands of hair away from her face. He smiled at her gently before reaching over in his chair to kiss her softly. Nanaka had little time to enjoy the warmth before the two of them were jerked apart by a sharp voice.  
  
"What do you mean, my table's not reserved! Do you know who I am?"  
  
"Is that who I think it is?" Nanaka said, alarmed.  
  
"Who else could it be?" Aya was already on his feet and walking towards the door. 


	12. Episode 12

Love's Magic, Episode 12  
By Joanna  
  
Akane shook her head again at the waiter standing in front of her. Her long, manicured nails held the golden credit card in front of his face again, and she made sure to give him a look that made him feel entirely incompetent. At this point, it wasn't even worth coming the restaurant. This was exactly the opposite of what she had intended, originally she and Juiren were going to sit at one of the secluded question and she would curiously wonder just when his cousin was coming back to Kitanohashi. She'd even offered to pay for the meal herself, because she was sure the college student was struggling to keep his finances together.  
  
"I'm sorry, madame," the waiter said. "There is no reservation here for Aikawa."  
  
"Yeah?" she was losing her patience altogther. "Then make one." Her voice was nearly a hiss now, and she dropped the credit card on the desk and turned towards the nearest empty table. "I'll pay double the reservation fee, but I will check the bill." She motioned to Juiren to sit across from her, which he did.  
  
There was silence for a moment before he spoke. "Akane, you really didn't have to pay all that money. We could have just gone to--"  
  
"We have to eat dinner here!" Akane slammed her fist down on the table, upsetting her fork, which flew up in the air and sailed over Juiren's left shoulder. He winced.  
  
"What do you mean by that?"   
  
"I mean, this was the night I was supposed to ask you about your cousin! I was going to wait another week through this, but--" Her hand covered her mouth before she created any more trouble.  
  
Juiren stared at the tablecloth for a moment. "You're in love with my cousin Jurika, aren't you, Akane?" When he peered up at her, there were tears in his eyes. She almost felt bad. "You're using me to get Jurika. I'm not stupid, Akane. I knew that was what it was from the beginning, but I thought-- I thought I could make you fall in love with me. I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you, that day in the bistro. It's been a week, Akane."  
  
"I don't think we should see each other any more." She had used that line probably hundreds of times, but this moment it almost felt as if there were meaning behind it.   
  
"I think that's a good idea. If I'm out with you any more, I'm just going to be used, whether you can see or not that Jurika is a figment of your imagination. How stupid are you, you silly girl?"  
  
Akane stared in horror as the image of Juiren began to contort itself into the shape of a powerful-looking, ancient warlock. She hadn't thought to bring her magic wand in her bag as Takeo had instructed them to do countless times, "just in case"-- and she could do nothing to stop him as he reached across the table to her.  
  
[commercial break]  
  
Sae had heard the terrified yell the moment Takeo opened the car door for her. The voice could belong to only one person-- Akane-- and she didn't have to think before she took her wand out of her purse and dashed towards the door of the restaurant, kicking off her high heels for Takeo to catch behind her.  
  
When she got inside, however, all she found were Nanaka and Aburatsubo, gathered around a table. There was complete and utter misorganization everywhere, various people were scattered and the head waiter was holding a credit card with a puzzled expression on his face. She dashed over to Nanaka, who was almost in tears.  
  
"Akane," she hiccuped, "Akane was here, and then she wasn't! Someone cast a spell, and then-- and then she was just gone!"  
  
Aburastubo shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it before. The man who was with her, the one that used that magic, must be very powerful. That's not just your every day Magic Club member. That was a warlock."  
  
Takeo entered the restaurant then, carrying Sae's shoes, which he tossed to her. She concentrated on putting them on while Nanka relayed the whole story again and tried to think. Who would Akane want to see that was so related to magic? Sure, she was the least responsible member of the club. She hardly showed up to meetings, hardly spoke to the others outside of club, and used magic for purposes forbidden by Takeo.  
  
It all made her think of the arguement. The arguement that the two of them had that seemingly innocent day in the magic club room...  
  
"Hello, Sae." Last semester, Sae was still studious and innocent as she was surveying magic texts to help Takeo out. For once, Akane had shown up for club early, if at all, and had a huge smile on her face.  
  
"Hi, Akane. Why do you look so happy?" Sae shut the Grimiore and leaned on it to smile at her friend.  
  
"I just heard from Jurika." She set down her purse and sat down on the floor, since Sae had occupied the only chair.  
  
"Jurika... Jurika... Jinno? But, Akane, don't you realize that he was just my magic? You were there, weren't you? Jurika was my magic, telling me to admit my feelings to Takeo. He wasn't really there, and that's why I was struggling with my magic right before everything happened."  
  
"Why would he be sending me e-mail, then?"   
  
"Someone's playing a joke on you."  
  
"Just because you broke up with him, Sae, is no reason to treat him that way."  
  
"Akane, don't fall in love with him! He's just a figment of your imagination!"  
  
She was shocked that she had said it, and even more shocked that she knew she was right because of the look on Akane's face. Not another word was exchanged between them as Akane packed up her things and left the room. Akane didn't show up for club that day, but to everyone else, that was nothing new.  
  
To Sae, it meant so much more. 


	13. Episode 13

Love's Magic, Chapter 13  
By Joanna 


End file.
